Students In The Spin On Skates

Twirling a cartwheel is no big deal for most children.

But just try doing one on in-line skates, also known as Rollerblades. It’s a cinch for Shauna Brumgard, an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Progress Elementary.

“I can spin and cartwheel and go backwards,” said Shauna as she bladed around an orange cone.

For the past two weeks, students at the school have all been learning to use the skates in gym class.

The Central Valley School District bought 40 pairs, which will rotate among the district’s elementary schools.

The skates are part of the district’s new warehousing program, in which the district buys equipment that schools cannot individually afford. Besides the skates, golf, tumbling and ping-pong equipment will eventually rotate among district schools.

The in-line skates are a hit at Progress, said Kim Brunelle, a gym instructor at Central Valley High School who heads the committee establishing the warehousing program. The skates “just seem to be the most popular item at this time,” she said.

At Progress, music from the ‘50s, such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” echoed across the gym Tuesday as students moved around orange cones, played hockey with a yarn ball, did the limbo and practiced tricks on stage.

Of course, they were on in-line skates for their third lesson.

“They just go at their own pace,” gym teacher Al Sperline said. “Everyone has a ball.”

Not at first, however.

“I was scared half to death,” said Rachel Kennett, 11. “I’m too afraid of falling.”

She learned to skate, and on Tuesday moved around the orange cones like an old pro. Like the other students, Rachel wore a helmet and protective pads on her knees, elbows and wrists.

A gym instructor shouted “hands and feet” across the gym and about 20 children hit the ground.

“That’s how we’ve been teaching them to fall,” said Sperline, who also sported the skates and protective equipment.

The school is getting its mileage out of the skates before the end of the week, when they will be given to another elementary school for its skating unit. Teachers have used them. Parents have skated.

The kids are probably the bravest.

“I thought I was going to fall a lot,” said Georgia Shatto, 11. “But I thought it was cool. I can go through the cones now.”

Although Sperline hoped to convert some students to the church of protective gear, some don’t necessarily heed the gospel of pads and helmets.

“They make you sweat a lot,” said Charity Machala, 12, with a grimace.

Joanie Alires had no plans to don the equipment when she skates at home.

“Not unless my mom makes me,” said the 11-year-old.

Scholarships for needy

For some Valley students, $100 could mean the difference between summer camp and vegetating in front of the TV.

The Valleyfest scholarship program aims to award 10 $100 scholarships to students eligible for the free or reduced school lunch program. Children interested in the program must be nominated in writing by Feb. 15.

“You can be nominated, heck, by anybody - by a teacher, by a parent, grandpa,” said Michael DeVleming, the Valleyfest scholarship chairman.

The program raises money for the scholarships through food and drink sales, donations at Valleyfest in September and other fund-raisers. Scholarships are offered three times a year.

The money should be used to help children with the day-to-day costs of education. In the past, students have used the money for sports camps, books, school equipment and other educational expenses.

“We had one little girl who just wanted money for some lab fees and a little $10 calculator - things that so many of us take for granted, that we would have laying around in a junk drawer,” DeVleming said.

Another recipient, an excellent student, used the money to buy a suit to meet business people at a career day. Another recipient used the money for basketball camp, DeVleming said.

Nominations and information requests should be sent to the Valleyfest Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 368, Veradale, WA 99037.

Council discusses change

The East Valley Special Education Advisory Council will discuss transition between schools at its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at East Farms Elementary.

Members will talk about changing schools from preschool to elementary school, elementary school to middle school, middle school to high school and high school to the workplace.